Luminate
by Reincarnations
Summary: There was someone else while they were on the run. A voice that annoyed her to no end. But why did it appear in the first place? Is it because she forgot her name?
1. Chapter 1

**_This is a sequel to Illuminate, which is under a different category (Lightning Returns)._**

**_And it looks like I might have to do two chapters._**

**_Disclaimer-I own nothing._**

* * *

_All the things I have done during the Fal'cie rein, I didn't do as Lightning. There was someone else. _I _was someone else. I sounded like Lightning, but that's because she is another version of _her. _Another version of who I once was. Sad thing is I forgotten who I am, what I am. _

_My real name? I don't know for myself. I called myself Lightning for years. But, my sister calls me by a different name every once in a while. Claire, a goody-goody will do anything to please everyone but never fights, even for herself._

_For some reason, I know that's not my real name, though every one of my deceased mother's friends say it. My amazing father who died when I was still a kid? He had none, only coworkers. __After all, who wants to be friends with someone who had a secret he wouldn't tell anyone. _

_He told me and I was happy because of what it meant for me though I could tell no one; __I'd be killed if I did. He wanted to name me something else, not Claire. He called me it all the time, yet I can't remember._

_It seems like the trouble of remembering started on that day, maybe because it was my birthday? Maybe because I acted like _her _and made Serah cry when she ran off because of what I said._

_Why can't I remember my damn Pulsian name!?_

* * *

**Day 12**

**The Seaside Shore of Bodum**

**Lightning's Birthday**

Lightning stayed silent for a moment, trying to process what her sister, Serah, said. _She's a Pulse l'Cie, just like dad, _the soldier thought bitterly. _She knows my feelings about that topic, so why would she lie about being one to marry Snow?_

Instead of saying what she was thinking she said, "You became a l'Cie, so now you're gonna marry this idiot? And you think I'm going to buy that? Full points for originality."

The engaged couple, who was standing on the other side of the table where Lightning was sitting, stayed silent a fidgeted nervously.

"But don't forget," she added while standing. "If you really are a l'Cie, it's my job to deal with you."

Serah looked up at her, her eyes filled with shock but her face just showed sadness. "Sis..." Serah whispered not knowing what to say.

"This is ridiculous." Lightning turned away, arms crossed. "Worst birthday ever."

_That's a lie, _a child's voice ranged in her head. _Your worst birthday was the year after he died._

Serah sobbed before running off, wiping away the tears as she did so. Lightning scolded herself. _Good job! _the voice cheered. _Didn't you do the same thing when Dad died?_

"Serah! Wait!" Snow called out. When she disappeared from sight he changed his attention to the other Farron, asking angrily, "Why won't you believe her?"

"You kidding me?" She turned to face him. "She gets made a l'Cie and you pop the question?"

"Lightning stop it!" He exclaimed slamming his hand on the table.

"No, you stop it!" She yelled back at him slamming her hands on the abused table as well. "Get out of my house."

"You're shutting her out! She's your sister!"

_Half-sister, _the voice chided. _But you and her are the only ones that know. _

Lightning broke the gaze when the voice corrected Snow. She turned her back toward him, crossing her arms once more.

"Fine." He stated. "I'll do it. I'll protect her." He walked out of the house leaving her by herself.

_But you were the one that protected her all those years, _the voice reminded her. _Do you think he is capable of doing so?_

A half hour after eating alone by herself, the phone ringed. "Hello?" Lightning answered.

"_You ready for your check up?" _the person on the other line questioned.

She sighed to herself. "Lieutenant Amodar, you say that every time. Could you change it up a bit?"

Amodar chuckled. "_I'll think about it. I'll be there in twenty minutes." _He hanged up and Lightning sighed again returning the phone to its original spot on the wall.

After washing her hands, she found a box with a pink and yellow bow on the table. She undid the ribbon and took off the top. In the box was a small survival knife from Serah. "How practical," she commented as she picked it up.

Putting the knife in her pocket, the TV switched channels. "_We interrupt this program to bring you an urgent Sanctum bulletin," _a reported explained. "_Late last night officials confirmed the presence of a Pulse fal'Cie in the city of Bodum."_ Lightning blanked out for a moment until the reporter said, _"The entire district will be quarantined in response to this crisis."_

"He's been here all along," she mumbled to herself. She was knocked out her thoughts when someone shouted from outside.

"Let's go Farron!" Lieutenant Amodar yelled. "I don't have all night!"

She rolled her eyes as she went to meet her boss, not noticing the note in the box.

* * *

"I'm sorry you have to bear this news on your birthday," the doctor apologized as he checked the results for the fifth time.

Lightning looked up at him while she zipped up her sleeveless turtleneck shirt. "What news? Did it get worse?"

"Very." he confirmed shaking his head, flipping through the papers once more. "I don't get it though. It was alright yesterday night. What could have changed it so dramatically?"

"What are you talking about?" she demanded. "I'm fine, right?"

He sighed before looking at the soldier. "I'm truly sorry, but it looks like your heart's failing you. It was strong yesterday, but then became extremely weak. Did your father's do the same thing or happen to die from that?"

"No, he was killed from poison that he didn't know was in his system." Lightning answered truthfully. "How long do I have?"

"According to this, possibly tomorrow afternoon maximum." The doctor replied not bothering to sugar-coat it. "Who knows? With these readings I wouldn't be surprised if you died right now."

"But I can't die." She insisted. "I have to protect my sister!"

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "All I can say for you to do is get a lot of rest tonight and do something crazily stupid tomorrow. Then you can know what it really feels like to live like you were dying."

Lightning smirked to herself as an idea came to her. "I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

And she did.

The next day she boarded the Purge train with a man following her, trying to find out what she's planning. After what felt like hours, a PSICOM soldier walked through the door, pointing his gun at the passengers of the train.

"You serious?" The man who followed Lightning asked.

"Be quiet!" She whispered/demanded.

He glanced at the soldier for a second before saying, "Best of luck."

All of the sudden the train lurched forward causing the PSICOM soldier to lose his balance. At that moment Lightning made her move. She quickly stepped forward and flipped over the soldier, causing him to fall, dropping his gun and the control device for the hostages cuffs. She stomped on the device, braking both it and the restraints.

"She did it!" The man exclaimed looking as his free hands. The other passengers were amazed as well as they were free from their bounds.

Two other soldiers barged in and started blaring their guns. She flipped over there, kicked one of the soldiers in the face, and then knocked the other soldier down when grabbing his gun.

Going to another section of the train, she took out the rest of the soldiers by herself with ease. Moments later the passengers and the man who followed her found her met up with her, holding their own guns as well.

"They all want to fight," the man explained.

"Very good for them," she retorted.

Looking out the doorway, she watched as airships started shooting at the train. "Give me that," she demanded as she grabbed the rocket launcher out of the man's arm. After locking on to the target and pulling the trigger, both ships were down.

Turning to get to the back, she continuously shot at the flying monsters, but they'd always move out of harms way. Then the monster shot lightning out of its mouth, braking the road causing part of the train to break off.

After a few safe seconds, a large mechanical monster machine landed on top of the train and slowed it down to a halt. It hit its tail against it, penetrating the metal.

When the thing pulled his tail out, the man yelled. "Run!" So Lightning ran toward the monster. "I meant away!"

_He should have been specific, _the voice in her head retorted as she climbed out of the broken train to attack the machine.

When the man finally got out, Lightning held her sword up waiting to make her move. _What are you waiting for!?, _the voice exclaimed, _Attack!_

Before she could, the monster jumped off the train and landed a couple yards away from.

"Hey, hey, hey!" the man yelled backing away. "Let's be rational now!"

The monster swiped its arm across, trying to hit them that way. The man just continued to back up while Lightning back-flipped over the arm.

"What do we do?" The man asked.

"Watch and learn." She answered as the two started to battle the machine.

After defeating it, the thing jumped back and started shaking that cart, trying to break it off again. "Fall back!" Lightning ordered as she ran to the other cart.

When the two were safe, the man provoked it. "Haha! Not so tough now, huh!" The thing then grew stronger. "Hey!" The man said holding up his guns. "That wasn't a challenge now!"

The monster pulled the train up. Lightning ran the other way, slid down the railing, and flipped in the air landing perfectly on her two feet. The man, he wasn't as swift as her. He ran down it trying not lose his balance. The cart was getting farther away and meaning the other two were getting farther away from each other.

"Jump!" she yelled. So that's what he did, and he landed on his face beside her.

The two fought the machine once more and this time it fell off the railing.

"Whew!" the man said as he sat down taking in a deep breath. "We did it."

_Not even close, _the voice in her head retorted. Lightning stood and placed her sword back in her holder before walking away.

"Aren't you suppose to protect civilians, soldier?" The man mocked which caused Lightning to stop.

_Oooh! _the voice awed. _What are you going to do now?_

"I'm mean," he stood back on his feet, "you are a Sanctum officer, aren't you?"

_Idiot, you were never a Sanctum officer, _the voice corrected him, though he could never hear it.

"What are you doing trying to stop the Purge? Why don't you tell me that?"

"I was a soldier," she said to both him and the voice before running off.

* * *

"So soldier," the man began after a while of silence, "what's your angle?"

_He's a brave one! _the voice commented. _I'm starting to like him._

When she didn't answer, he started messing around with the controls. "What? Is it classified military info?"

_Never mind, _voice said. _He's asking too many questions._

"What's the matter? You quit didn't you? You think I'm gonna go out there and just tell everybody-"

"The Pulse fal'Cie," Lightning interrupted him. She turned toward him. "My angle. I'm after the fal'Cie."

_Why did you tell him! _the voice scolded her. _No one is supposed to know!_

After turning on the bridge like machine, she asked her own question. "Still happy you tagged along?"

"Didn't have a choice," he answered but she out of hearing distance.

* * *

Soon the two made it inside the Vestige, but their path was blocked by the sealed door. So Lightning relentlessly attacked it for twenty minutes straight while the man sat on the ground.

"Still won't budge?" the man asked sarcastically causing her to stop attacking altogether. He stood as she did so. "I think the door's winning."

_He's right about that, _the voice agreed. _If only you listened to her._

"Why didn't I listen?" she mumbled to herself.

"Uh, beg your pardon?"

_If you ask for its forgiveness, _the voice offered, _he'll let you in. He was originally going for you, remember? _

Lightning held her hand up to the door before pulling back. "It was me. This is my fault."

"Beg your pardon?" he repeated louder.

She turned slightly toward him. "Cover your ears."

"Blast charge? Oh, okay, hold on, hold on." He ran a few feet away before going on his knees, covering his eyes, yelling, "Alright! Go for it! Make it happen."

Lightning held her hand up against the door. "I'm so sorry," she apologized bowing her head more with each word. "Please, let me in. Please?"

She closed her eyes in waiting. The doors opened for her.

_If only he knew what you were planning. __Even if he did, he owes you an apology too._

"Right," Lightning agreed under her breath putting her blade back in its place.

"How'd you open it?"

_Don't answer, _the voice commanded. _Keep your focus in mind._

She did exactly what it-I mean she, said and kept moving closer to her goal, which irritated the man.

* * *

Eventually the duo found an unconscious Serah on the ground.

"Serah!" Lightning yelled as she kneeled before her. After picking her up in her arms she turned around. "Time to go. We have to leave before the army-" She stopped herself when she saw the look on the man's face. "What?"

"That's a Pulse brand," he said. "That girl's a l'Cie."

"I already told you that," she insisted harshly.

_He knows, _the voice butted in. _And now he's going to end Serah's life-_

"_I won't let him!" _Lightning shouted inside her mind as the man reached down for his guns.

"Pulse l'Cie are the enemies of Cocoon."

_Told you._

Lightning pulled her sister closer to her. "So they should die?"

"Listen if she fails her focus, you know how that will end."

_He's right,_ she reluctantly agreed.

"And killing her is a mercy?" Lightning asked both of them while a hand reached up to hold her cheek. She glanced down to see Serah awake.

"You came," Serah weekly observed.

Lightning gently laid her on the floor when she heard a voice yelling her sister's name.

_Looks like the hero came after all, _the voice mocked. _Wonder what took him so long._

_"I don't care why he showed up late," _Lightning snapped at the voice while glaring at Snow. _"He shouldn't even be here-"_

_Because you can protect her all on you own, _she finished snootily. _If that was true, Serah wouldn't be here as well. _

"Hands off," Lighting said out loud not realizing it until she added, "I'm taking her home."

"Sis-"

"I'm not your sister." Lightning snapped at him. "You couldn't protect her! It's your fault she-"

"You can save us," Serah interrupted her.

"Serah?"

"You can save us," she repeated. "Protect us all. Save Cocoon."

_What?_

"Save Cocoon? Serah, that was your focus?" Lightning questioned.

_No, t__he fal'Cie gave her a focus that she could've completed in one day._

"-I'll save everyone." Snow finished his rambling that Lightning had tuned out until now.

"Somehow, I'll make things right."

_Are you sure? _the voice asked. _Because_ _I don't think you'll live long enough._

"Thank you." Serah whispered as she closed her eyes started to glow, rising in the air.

"Serah!" Lightning exclaimed, though it was pointless her to do so.

_Turning into crystal, _she explained. _That should have happened to Dad, but the fal'Cies killed him instead!_

_"Dad said his focus was to see his daughters grow up," _Lightning stated as she watched helplessly as her sister turned into crystal.

_He was originally supposed to die a couple months after Serah's eighteenth birthday. When he was dying on that bed, he turned into crystal inside not out because the fal'Cie didn't want Serah to know he was what he was._

"_And?"_

Lightning heard her sigh before continuing on, _The legends say l'Cie who complete their focus get 'eternal sleep in crystal'. It's just another way of saying that their time is up; a way to die with a smile on their face._

"Serah, sweet dreams." Snow said as he held her hand one last time.

"Sweet dreams?" Lightning pushed the man aside before grabbing Snow's collar. "She's not sleeping! Serah's, she's. . ."

_Dead, _the voice finished.

She pushed him away after hearing what the voice said.

_This isn't your fault though! She was never meant to turn into a l'Cie._

"She's alive," Snow said with determination. "The legend. Remember the legend!"

_We grew up with the legend! We know everything about them! And how can he just blab on? Is he that arrogant?! Man, I want to punch him so bad!_

_"Allow me." _So that's what she did. Lightning punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground.

"It's over!" She screamed at him. "Open your eyes and face reality!"

_Like you have any room to talk. _

Before Lightning could question her, the building started to shake.

_The armies trying to destroy the place. If it's gone that means any trace of the Pulse fal'Cie is gone too._

"_But they can't! They'll get killed!"_

_They don't know that._

Soon though, the building stopped shaking. The doors atop the stairs opened up, the room that held the fal'Cie.

"Trench coat," the man called. "Where you going?"

"Date with the fal'Cie." he answered. "Got some things to talk about."

"You're going to ask it to help her? Are you out of your mind, kid? That thing wants to chew us up and spit us out."

_That's a lie. He wants to make things right._

_"Who's side are you on?" _Lightning asked her.

_Right now his._

"Well, what do you want me to do?" Snow screamed at him.

Lightning sighed before walking ahead of them to the opened path way. _What are you planning?_

_"You'll just have to wait and see.__"_

* * *

_There he is. The mighty Pulse fal'Cie._

_"He looks dead."_

_But he's not. He's resting. Waiting for a few people to turn to l'Cie._

"Serah's a crystal now." Snow told the sleeping fal'Cie. "You gave her a focus, and she did it! You got what you want! Now let her go!"

_No, he got the opposite of what he wanted. And he won't let her go until his next victim knows what their true focus is._

"Please," he begged as he fell on his hands and knees. "Turn her back!"

Raising back up, he placed a hand on his heart. "I'll be your l'Cie instead!"

_That fool. He wants you, not him._ _Listen to the fal'Cie! He's trying to speak with you! _

"Fine," Lightning said. "You go on begging." She pulled out her sword from behind her back. "Like this thing gives a damn on what we want!" She attacked the machine with all her might, repeatedly. She lost her balance and was forced to stop.

_Stop it! He's trying to tell you something._

"It's this things fault the Purge started and it's people who are dying. Serah told us to save Cocoon. That means this thing needs to die!"

_Why did you say that! Now you've made him mad!_

As if to prove what she said was true, the floor around them turned bright and objects came out of the ground. The fal'Cie was awake.

The boy became scared and ran to the exit. But the fal'Cie blocked the way causing him to fall. _No one is leaving now. Good job, sis._

"Come on now," the man said. "You really think you can kill a fal'Cie?"

_Don't do it!_

"I'm doing this for Serah!" Lightning shouted.

_But you're going to accomplish nothing!_

"I got these things," the man said holding up his guns. "Might as well use them."

She glanced at him for a second before looking back at the monster. "Thanks."

_You three are idiots._

* * *

After walking for who knows how long on the crystalized Lake Bresha, the voice finally said something. _What's that crystal object over there?_

Lightning turned her head and stopped walking all together when she saw it. "Serah," she whispered fearfully.

"Serah!" Snow yelled as he ran past Lightning. He kneeled before her crystal form. "I'll get you out of there!"

Seconds later Sazh and Vanille were helping Snow with the task. But all Lightning did was stare at her sister. The others disappeared around her as she looked at her frozen face.

_It's all your fault this happened to her._

Lightning looked at the ground, avoiding looking up at her again. "This is good-bye," she whispered as she turned around, walking away.

"Lightning?" Snow called and she stopped. "You're just going to leave her?"

"PSICOM will be here soon. If they find us, we're all dead." _You got to say more if you want him to leave her. _Lightning continued, "You think Serah would want that? You think you know what she feels?"

"If I leave her, then I'll never know," he answered. "We'll be fine. I can handle anything they throw at us. No one will die. I will protect Serah. And Cocoon!"

_Wow. He must really love her._

_"That's the problem!"_

Lightning turned back around, walked up to him, and punched his face. He fell down atop of Sazh.

"Does she look protected to you?"

_Yes._

_"I wasn't asking you!" _

He stood back up and insisted, "I can save her!" She punched him again.

"What can you possibly do?"

_Live longer than you._

"Whatever it takes!" Snow yelled back.

Slowly she unclenched her fist and her arm was back at her side. She moved away so they couldn't see her face. "_What do you mean?" _she asked the voice in her head.

_You have two different Focuses. The first one will take days while the other will take years._

"Admit it," Sazh said snapping Lightning out of her thoughts. "You want to stay as much as he does."

_He's right. You do._

* * *

After leaving Snow behind and avoiding PSICOM for a while, they made it to a place while a large, crystal view.

"Wow!" Vanille exclaimed joyfully. "This whole place is crystal!"

Lightning stared out at the view. Everyone else saw the glass like field, but for Lightning, the view changed. It was a wide grassy range with different types of monsters running around. Once she blinked, the view changed back to what it truly was.

"_What was that?"_

_Gran Pulse. I'm sure Vanille can tell you all about it._

Suddenly Sazh sighed. "I wonder what it would be like, to become a crystal I mean."

_"It's painful, to see the one you love watch you turn into crystal."_

_You would know, since you've seen two of them turn before you._

"You're gonna complete your focus?" Vanille asked.

"Maybe, if I knew what is was. And I probably don't wanna know."

"Hey Lightning, did Serah say anything to you about her focus?"

Lightning stared at the ground as she placed a hand over her mark. "Nothing," she answered.

"You know what, she probably didn't want to worry you!" Vanille insisted.

"Or she just, didn't think she could trust me." Lightning walked away, with the thought in her head.

* * *

After walking for so long, separating, then meeting back up, they took a break by an old inactive ship. Lightning sat on the ship's wing with Sazh slowly climbing up. Soon he sat down beside her.

"Not much of a future for us." He joked.

"Hard to picture a happy ending." Lightning agreed.

"You don't even know where to go."

"I do." She stood, turned around, and gazed up at the artificial stars. "There!"

He also stood and looked at where she was indicating. "Eden? The Sanctum seat of power. That's a great idea," he said sarcastically. Sazh continued ranting but Lightning tuned him out.

_So are you going to kill the ones that killed your father?_

_"Yes. I am."_

_I was joking! Don't be stupid! You'll get killed._

"You're serious?!"

"Keep running. It's die or turn Cie'th. There's no place for l'Cie to hide."

_Yes there is!_

"No." Lightning glared up at the sky. "If they want to fight, let's take it to the Sanctum's door."

"This isn't a game!"

"No," she looked back at him. "That's for damn sure. Started with Serah-"

_No, it started with your dad!_

"-the fal'Cie took her," Lightning continued paying no attention to the voice. "Now I'm a l'Cie too. And the Sanctum's hunting me now, an enemy. But who's pulling their strings? A fal'Cie, Eden, Cocoon's sustainer and guiding light.

"They probably ordered the Purge too. Pulse and Sanctum fal'Cie, they're all the same."

_No they aren't! How can you forget that?!_

"And we're all the same to them, expendable."

_No, you are valuable to them._

"I'm not dying a fal'Cie slave."

_But you have-_

_"Shut up! I'm getting tired of listening to you!" _

"So?" Sazh questioned. "What are you gonna do?"

"Destroy it."

_You can't kill a fal'Cie without killing yourself!_

"By yourself! Are you crazy?" He freaked out. "Say you pull it off, hm? What's that get ya? Satisfaction? Something happens to Eden, it's lights out Cocoon." He stopped ranting and looked at her like she's insane. "You _want _that. You're Pulse l'Cie now, you just want to snuff out Cocoon!"

"No!" Vanille yelled. "What about Serah? She said to save Cocoon! It might even be our focus to make sure Cocoon stays-"

"Our Focus doesn't matter! I don't take orders from fal'Cie. How I live, is up to me."

_Quit kidding yourself. You've been taking orders from them since your dad died._

"Don't you mean, how you die?" Sazh corrected her.

"_For once he's right."_

_Wait, you understand your focus?_

Lightning ignored her once more and kept up with her façade. "Think like that and it's already over. Better to pick your path and keep moving. Don't worry, I'm after the Sanctum, I'm not out to destroy the world. If it did come to that, wonder if our hero would try to stop me."

"You wanna fight Snow now? Just like that your enemies?"

She turned toward him. "Next time we meet, we might be too." She turned her back toward him before storming off away from them and heading to her new destination.

_So do you understand your focus?_

_"Yes. I understand."_

_._

_._

_._

_._

_"I have to die."_

* * *

**_What do you think? Should I continue? If I do, there will be one chapter more and that's it. Then I'd probably work on the sequel. _**

**_It will be a while though. School has started for me and it took me about two months just to get this much done. So it will be a while, just to warn to._**

**_Anyways, please review! _**


	2. Chapter 2

**_**_Anyways, here is the last part of the story! _**Hope you like it!_**

**_Disclaimer- I own nothing._**

* * *

_You're getting annoyed by him._

_"He's too damn slow!"_

As if to prove her point, Hope tripped on the bridge and fell.

"This isn't working." Lightning finally said as she turned to him.

He looked up at her while panting. "Huh?"

"I mean you're a liability," she explained. She turned her back toward him. "You'll just slow me down."

"What?"

"I'm sorry." She apologized. "I can't protect you when-" Lightning interrupted herself when she groan in pain. The place where her mark was, over her heart, was burning like crazy.

_Don't panic! The fal'Cie is trying to help you!_

_"How is this helping?!"_

"You can't leave me here!" Hope insisted. "You got to take me with you!"

_Just let him help you!_

"Enough!" She screamed as the pain grew stronger. "The whole world is against us!" She groaned and fell onto one knee.

_No one is against you! He's trying to get you used to it!_

"I can barely keep myself alive," Lightning whispered ignoring the girl in her head. Louder she yelled, "Let alone some helpless kid!"

_Stop it!_

"I don't have time to baby you. You want to get tougher?"

Hope shook his head in fear.

"Do it on your own!" Lightning screamed/demanded. All around her the ground glowed brightly in a dark pinkish color. As soon as she jumped out of the way, a soldier like giant appeared where she was just at.

_There he is! That's what the fal'Cie tried to give you!_

_"What?!"_

_Oops. I should have waited._

"This cannot be happening!"

The knight swung his mighty sword at Hope. The helpless l'Cie raised his arms in an act to protect himself but instead fell down on the ground. As the gigantic sword was about to make contact with him, it was blocked by none other than Lightning.

He easily pushed her back. The fight has started but ended as quickly.

As the knight, Odin, returned back to it's crystal inside Lightning, she fell on her knee panting. "Lightning!" Hope shouted.

_You'll get those pains frequently now._

_"Why's that?"_

_Because he let you live longer than you should have._

"Your brand looks different," Hope commented knocking Lightning out of her trance. "Was that an eidolon? Like l'Cie can summon?"

_Yes._

"Magic and mumbo jumbo," she answered to Hope. "I must have hit my head on that Purge train."

_What in the world are you doing?_

_"Making it look like I don't believe in any of this when I do."_

Lightning stood from the ground as Hope asked, "Am I really in your way?"

She sighed before walking a head of him. He turned so he was facing her back. "I'll do better! I'll try harder. I'll-"

"Hope!" She interrupted him. After hearing him sigh she said, "We'll toughen you up."

_That all you have to say?_

Lightning stopped walking. "I'm sorry, about before."

_That's better. Feeling a little sympathy?_

_"Maybe."_

* * *

"That's it, Palumpolum," Hope said as they finally made it out of the woods.

"That's where you live, right?" Lightning confirmed.

Hope said nothing as he took a couple steps closer to get a better view.

_What's wrong with him?_

_"I don't know."_

"We'll stop in when we get there," she suggested.

Hope shook his head. "No. We're l'Cie now. No one is there besides my dad."

_Sounds like he doesn't get along with his dad. _

"Hope, you need to let him know what happened."

He stayed silent as he walked ahead of her.

Lightning sighed and asked the voice in her head, "_You know what I really hate?"_

_People who have a father but hates him for no reason and will realize in the future how much they really loved him when he's gone?_

_"Exactly." _

* * *

_ "_Look at us. Pulse l'Cie using a Sanctum fal'Cie to tell where we're going. Sort of strange." Hope commented.

"Not really."

_True. Dad had to find a Sanctum fal'Cie to actually get him on Cocoon. _

_"He told me that story when I was just a kid." __I know._

"We relied on them our whole lives-."

_No, you relied on the Pulse fal'Cie. _

_"Don't interrupt me!"_

"-the food we eat, the light, and water. It's all from the fal'Cie. You know, I think Cocoon was really built for them."

_They sure act like it is._

"The rest of us, we're just leeches, parasites."

"You think? They protect us, nurture us, they take of, well, normal people. They treat us like we're special. Almost like. . . ." He clapped his hand before turning toward Lightning. "Like we're pets."

Something clicked inside Lightning's mind. _"That's how the Cocoon fal'Cies treated Dad, like-" _"Like pets," she whispered.

She walked closer to the fal'Cie. "To them, we are just pets."

_And they abused Dad because of it. _"That's it! Now it makes sense. I've been so blind."

_Wait, you didn't know they killed him?_

_"No, I was told it was monster venom."_

"I was born into a fal'Cie world. Raised on a fal'Cie's leash. It was the only life I knew how to live."

_And it hurt Dad because he had to watch his enemy turn his only daughter into their pet, which was hard for them to do because of Anima. _

"When it was taken from me, I was completely lost. Without a master to follow, my life had no purpose."

_Correction, you're purpose would be to chose a side, Cocoon or Pulse._

"Hope! Listen to me." She turned around to face him. "This l'Cie curse, it took everything from me-."

_That's an understatement. _

"-My future, my dreams. I didn't want to think, so I fought instead. As long as I was fighting, nothing else was real. I was running away. And you Hope, you got swept along with me."

"But Lightning, I don't understand."

_You have to tell him._

"Operation Nora is over."

"What?"

"I-. . ."

"No!" Hope yelled. "You told me to fight!"

"I made a mistake!" _How do those words taste coming from your mouth?_

_"Not in the mood."_

"You can't do this," Hope insisted. "You can't just. . . . build something up like that, then abandoned me."

Lightning grabbed him by the shoulders. "I won't abandon you. I won't."

_How can you say that, when you abandoned yourself?_

* * *

_So what are you going to do now?_

"I don't know yet," Lightning insisted answering both the voice's and Hope's question.

"You don't know yet!" Hope repeated.

"That's right," she turned her head to look at him. "I don't know yet, but I know we can't lose hope."

_So you're saying we need to protect him?_

_"Only until we get him to his father."_

"Hope?" he sat down on the steps. "There is no hope, not for l'Cie."

"There's you."

"It's my name," he corrected her, "not who I am."

"I was just like you," Lightning randomly stated.

_You're going to tell him?_

_"Yes."_

"My parents died. I had to be strong for Serah, so I thought I needed to forget my past."

_In the end, you forgot your own name._

"I became Lightning. I thought by changing my name, I can change who I was."

_That actually was the case with you. You get a new name and you get a new personality with it._

"I was just a kid."

_You were when Dad died._

"Lightning, it flashes bright then fades away. It can't protect only destroys." She turned around and sat beside Hope, not looking at him. "Serah tried to tell me, but I wouldn't listen."

_You got that from him. After all, Pulsians don't like taking orders from others._

* * *

"Lightning!" Snow shouted after he slowed down his eidolion with a woman her age riding behind him.

Lightning turned to them as the woman jumped off the motorcycle before Snow. _That girl! She's a Pulsian! The one that was turned into crystal so long ago, remember?_

_"Yeah, I remember Dad telling me that story. He knew her and her friend that also turned when Ragnarok tried to destroy Cocoon."_

The woman stared at Lightning and kept her mouth shut. _You think she wants to talk?_

_"Maybe. I'll have to separate from the boys though."_

_And how are you going to do that?_

_"Watch."_

She grabbed Hope by the arm and shoved him into Snow, who caught him before he fell down. She raised her gun up to her shoulder. "Take care of him," she said.

"Lightning, listen to me-"

"Get moving."

"No, you don't understand!" Snow shouted. "Serah's all right! She'll turn back!"

Lightning looked ahead. "_I know that," _she thought to herself. Out-loud she insisted, "Take care of Hope."

"Wait!" he yelled.

As she ran ahead she could hear the Pulsian behind her say, "And then there were three," before jogging to catch up to her.

* * *

After running from PSICOM for so long, the two females finally stopped. Fang leaned against the wall side, giving Lightning a perfect view of her l'Cie brand. "Who are you?" she breathed out.

Fang looked over her shoulder being pushing herself off the wall, sighing as she did so. Running her fingers through her hair, she walked forward a couple steps. "Where do I start?" She turned back around to face Lightning. "I've got a few screws loose, but I'm a l'Cie, same as you."

_I told you! _

"Difference being," Fang continued, "I wasn't born on Cocoon."

_"She's-"_

"I'm from Gran Pulse. The 'world below' you all hate so much."

_"I don't hate it," _Lightning corrected her in her mind but kept her expression the same as she listened.

Fang stepped closer to her. "The reason Cocoon's in such a uproar is the same reason you're here now. Vanille and I woke up."

_"You were right," _Lightning told the voice. _"They are both Pulsians."_

_I told you so!_

* * *

"'These Cocoon people' have spent centuries under fal'Cie law, in constant fear of a Pulse invasion." Lightning retorted.

_Too bad they don't know it started over twenty years ago._

"If it wasn't for Serah, I'd have been out there too. Hunting l'Cie."

_That's a lie and you know it. _

"Would have been nothing but targets to me."

_So Dad would've been a target too?_

_"Maybe. . ."_

"Well Gran Pulse is just as twisted." Fang commented. "'Cocoon's a floating nest of vipers, ready to strike.' Or so I thought."

_That's what everyone thinks. . ._

Lightning looked over her shoulder, "So you became a l'Cie to fight the 'vipers'. And destroying the nest is your-"

_She doesn't know. Fang has to complete it alone._

Lightning held her hand over her heart before looking up at the sky. _"No, she doesn't." _

"I mean _our _focus now."

* * *

"You get a nasty shock, it can speed up the process." Fang added, finishing with her explanation.

_That happened with Dad. The Cocoon fal'Cies poisoned him, which gave him that 'shock'. Anima didn't want his favorite l'Cie to be turned into a Cie'th, so he turned him into crystal instead. _

"-I've got to save her and get her home."

"To Pulse, you mean?"

"To _Gran _Pulse." Fang corrected her.

_Man, she must really like that place._

"I hear that the Sanctum prevents people from leaving Cocoon. I'd like to see 'em try and stop me."

"So that's your plan?" Lightning concluded. "I wish I had one." She walked forward a for a bit than stopped. "Without Serah, without a future, there's nothing to plan for."

_Don't say that!_

"There's no way out of this mess, and no way to fight it."

_There has to be!_

"I'm stuck trading blows with the Sanctum, but that's no plan."

_But it can be, though!_

"Even if we topple the government, where's that leave us? With nothing to fight for?"

_There is always something to fight for!_

"I might as well be dead."

_No! Stop it!_

"Your sister." Fang unknowingly intervened with the argument. She pushed herself off the wall again. "You got plenty to fight for. Think about it. Don't you want to see Serah, after she wakes up? That's you're future right there. All you've gotta do is survive. It's simple!"

_"It's not that simple!" _Lightning screamed in her head. "Right," she agreed anyways ending the conversation.

* * *

"I'm sorry." Lightning apologized to Snow, who was laying on the bed in the Estheim's residence wounded. "Forgive me."

He sat up slightly to hear her better. "For what?"

She stood abruptly and looked away from him. "Everything."

Snow laid back down with both of his hands resting underneath his head. "If you tell me your real name, I suppose I could."

_"I don't know it though." _she thought bitterly in her mind, but instead said, "Have Serah tell you-when she gets back."

"Deal."

* * *

_**(A/N: OOCness coming up.)**_

"Why is it those two don't know anything about you?" Fang asked Lightning privately in the guest room on the Lindblum airship. Cid Raines thought that the four l'Cie could use some rest so he offered the guest rooms. Unfortunately the females had to share a room.

"They didn't get to know me." Lightning answered staring up at the ceiling while laying on her back on the bed. "Because I didn't give them a chance to."

"Will you give me a chance?"

"Depends, what do you want to know?"

Fang thought for a few moments. "I'll start off with something simple. Who taught you how to fight?"

The answer, along with her breath, caught in her throat. She closed her eyes as a memory played in her mind, so vague yet important. A tear escaped when she remembered his smile, his laughter.

"My dad," she croaked out. She cleared her throat and repeated herself, her voice cracking. "My dad taught me everything I know about fighting."

The Pulsian kept quiet, waiting for Lightning to say more. When she didn't, she said, "I can tell he is a good man."

"Was," Lightning corrected her, turning over on her stomach, her eyes burying **_(A/N: you have no idea how long it took me to spell that)_** themselves in the blanket. "He was killed when I was still a kid." She no longer fought the oncoming tears; they busted out like a broken dam.

Fang stayed silent as she watched the brave and emotionless soldier cry out her heart. "I'm sorry," Fang apologized sincerely. "I had no idea-"

"Neither does the others." Lightning interrupted her as she stopped her crying and wiped away any evidence of the tears. She took in a huge breath and exhaled. "They assumed Serah and I had no parents, that I took care of everything while we were so young." The soldier looked straight at Fang, her eyes blood-shot. "My mother was also killed, but that was three years after he was. And I honestly didn't care because Serah was her favorite."

"Why?"

"That is a secret that I'll tell you in the future." Lightning promised. "I'm going to get some sleep. I'll see you when I wake up."

* * *

_Do you remember that man? _

_"Of course," _Lightning answered as she continued to glare at the Primarch. _"I met him when I went to work with Dad."_

_Do you think he remembers you?_

_"I hope not." _

"What else does one do with tools?" Dysley countered Snow's question as he floated back on the ground. Snow grew furious and tried to punch the man, but was pushed back by a force-field.

_Stupid._

_"Will you shut up for one moment?!"_

"Cocoon is a factory, built by fal'Cie. A factory for the mass production of human thralls."

"Not anymore it's not." Snow argued as he got off from the ground.

"Without our help, death is all of which you're capable." he explained. "You saw the fools. A mindless mob drunk on fear of a few l'Cie."

Lightning stepped forward and exclaimed, "If only they knew a l'Cie was the one filling their glasses!"

"L'Cie?" Dysley chuckled. "You mean me?" He laughed once more. "Oh child, perish the thought. I am more than that!" A bright light blinded the group of l'Cie. Seconds later it faded to reveal Dysley in a new form. "I am fal'Cie. My name is Barthendelus. Voice of the Sanctum, and Lord-Sovereign of the Cocoon fal'Cie."

_So on that day you helped your father meet his killer. How does that make you feel?_

_"Like a terrible daughter."_

* * *

"This place-it must be an Ark." Vanille observed walking in the new high-tech area.

"An Ark?" Lightning repeated.

"That's what they call 'em." Fang explained.

"Long ago, the fal'Cie who made their home on Gran Pulse were afraid of invasion from the outside." Vanille continued on. "As part of their battle preparations, they created an army of living weapons. And they store those weapons in Arks, and they hid those Arks all over the world."

_"Didn't Dad tell me those legends?" _Lightning asked the voice in her head.

"Everyone on Gran Pulse knew the legend." Fang added on to what Vanille said.

_Does that answer your question?_

_"Shut it."_

"So, this is basically a Pulse armory." She concluded.

"Most of us never believed in 'em." Fang confessed. "A few people tried searching, but they never found a thing. Who'd have thought to look on Cocoon?"

_Dad did. The fal'Cie ordered him to find an Ark and use it as a security base. Took him a day and he found one close to Bohdum. _

"Right under our noses," Sazh stated. "That's some secret they kept. Those Sanctum guys, what are they up to?"

"The story's not done." Vanille insisted. "There's more."

"They used to say the Ark had a more practical purpose." Fang said.

"Huh. Really." Lightning said out-loud meaning to think it in her head.

"Yeah, to force l'Cie to master their new shiny powers."

"Okay, so, I get it. Dysley's goal is to forge us into stronger weapons. Right."

"Not Cie'th," Sazh assured, "but monsters all the same."

"Think of it as training for the fight ahead," Hope suggested.

"Hope's right!" Vanille exclaimed.

_Don't you think it's funny that the guy name Hope always give the pep-talks about hope?_

_"I never thought about it."_

* * *

"Lightning!" The said girl watched as her sister ran up to her while holding her boyfriend's hand. After she caught her breath, Serah complimented, "You look as illuminate as ever."

Something clicked inside her mind a she smiled at her sister. "Thank you, Serah."

**The End**


End file.
